Barack Obama

An America's choice, the candidate who is radically redefining politics.

Like many who meet him, you just want people of his caliber to lead.

While with other candidates we’ll just sing a same old song, Barack, 46, has already changed American politics. We often hear about the size of the crowds he attracts, as a measure of the excitement about his candidacy. It's the variety of the crowd that is the real phenomenon: little kids who sit on the floor in front of the podium, and the 101 year old gentleman who stood up from his wheelchair in Iowa and said, "I'm with him too." Farmers in overalls next to people in business suits. Every race, religion and creed. Every political party and no party at all.

You can feel their excitement about being in Barack's presence and about being in the presence of one another. They glimpse for a minute what it might be like to find common cause across differences. That's how Barack has changed politics.

Oprah Winfrey

She inspiring her viewers to participate in the democratic process.

Oprah is a wonderful person and an incredible force. Oprah's story is one that truly could happen only in America. After the struggles she endured as a young girl, she became a popular talk show host with a national wide viewers. But she didn’t stop there. Using her platform to serve as a global role model, she challenges us to make the world as it is the world as it should be. And she is always the first to show us how it can be done.

In the past few months, We've had the privilege of watching Oprah inspire thousands of Americans to participate in our democracy. She has also reached out to thousands more who might not have known there was a seat for them at the table at all people who desperately need a voice.

Over the past 20 years, Oprah, 54, has developed and nurtured a relationship with her viewers and readers built on the recognition that there is more that unites us than divides us that our shirred experiences in work, life and love, in family and community, in our hopes and dreams, know no barriers; that regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status or hometown, we are our brothers' keepers, our sisters' keepers.

For this impact on all of us, We should honor her.

Mehmet Oz

Professor Surgeon, a Turk descendant, and an America’s favourite doctor.

Once Eric Ripert, an executive chef and ceo of Le Bernardin, NY met him, he wouldn't have any idea who Mehmet was – a fact that even then put him in a minority. Mehmet, actually is a Columbia University heart surgeon, 47, who now has a series of best selling health books and Dr. Oz TV show with Oprah Winfrey, was already a famous face. As the chef talked with Mehmet, it became clear that he was intrigued by Mehmet's work in the hospital as Mehmet was by his in the kitchen of Le Bernardin. Once on an occasion, they agreed to try out each other’s job.

For two days, Ripert went to the OR with Mehmet, followed him on his rounds and even tried operating on a pig heart. He thought He did it well but later learned that if the heart had belonged to a human, the patient would have died. Mehmet did a lot better in his world than he did in his. Mehmet immediately took charge of his kitchen, was completely at ease leading his team of 40 cooks and even took time to greet guests. But it was not when Mehmet was interacting with diners and cooks that he learned the most about Mehmet; it was when Mehmet was interacting with patients. Ripert was impressed. According to him, Mehmet is a man of extraordinary compassion and strength, remarkably suited both to caring for his own patients and to carrying a message of health to a larger world.

Perhaps when you’ve had the powerful experience of opening human hearts, you find it a little easier to open your own.

references:
Columbia University Medical Center